Airplanes, B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams

B.o.B., known for his recent hit "Nothin' on You", is back with his second single, "Airplanes." The title conjures up a theme of B’s newfound life of ladies and private jets, and that’s partially accurate. Rather than triumphant, though, the song is curiously plaintive, set over a sad little adult-contemporary guitar riff. It starts right off with Hayley Williams’ subdued chorus, made urgent by steady handclaps, where she sings sweetly that she “could use a wish.” It’s no club banger, but the hook is actually quite beautiful, the kind of thing you don’t mind hearing again when you get back in the car. The use of Williams, a pop punk singer, is unusual, and the song is informed by her voice and her chord progression. It leaves B. sounding more like a guest rapper than the main event, sneaking into a pop song rather than making his own hip hop. The subject of his verses is some kind of disillusionment with his newfound fame, wishing he could return to a simpler time, before he entered “the game.” It’s familiar subject matter, explored last year in T.I.’s “Live Your Life.” “Airplanes” is like the sad younger cousin of that single, the wistfulness without the swagger. B’s delivery is pretty deliberate, and the verses lack the inventiveness or daring that makes rap exciting. I can’t imagine B.o.B. having the wit or speed to survive a rap battle. The lyrics are inoffensive and rarely embarrassing, but there isn’t a lot of fun, either. And how is it that he’s burned by fame after one hit? Regardless, the song remains lodged in the charts, likely because of Williams’ appealing and endlessly listenable turn over the plucked electric guitar. If only the whole song were hers. 



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